Monday, February 21, 2005

In case you hadn't heard, the latest target of the administration's buddies in PR is that shadowy, dangerous organization known as... AARP.

They might have supported a prescription drug plan written by the pharmaceutical companies, and earned the plaudits of Bush, but now they've made a fatal error-- disagreed with him on Social Security. Cue the 70's blaxploitation music, because it's time for: PAYBACK!

From the NYT:

"Taking its cues from the success of last year's Swift boat veterans' campaign in the presidential race, a conservative lobbying organization has hired some of the same consultants to orchestrate attacks on one of President Bush's toughest opponents in the battle to overhaul Social Security.

The lobbying group, USA Next, which has poured millions of dollars into Republican policy battles, now says it plans to spend as much as $10 million on commercials and other tactics assailing AARP, the powerhouse lobby opposing the private investment accounts at the center of Mr. Bush's plan."

The AARP should have taken a lesson from the pasting that "nice" Democrats took over the last four years-- they're out to take you down no matter how much you kiss up.

And what's the first ad to appear from USA Next? Here goes:

The AARP hates soldiers! The AARP loves queers! This is ridiculous even by the right's current standards of propaganda. Hopefully the day is coming when more people look at images like this and just laugh. The ad appeared on the front page of the American Spectator's website. And linked straight to USA Next's website, where they're collecting tales of people tired of the rooking they've been getting at the hands of those radical, sodomy-loving... uh, retirees.

Also on the site is their "poll." The lone question: Did you know that the AARP has received over $1 billion of taxpayers money over the last 20 years? My question is this: how can such a powerful lobby get so little? Halliburton alone has received ten times that over the last two years!

To sum up, the administration can't get even red staters to back Bush's multi-trillion dollar plan. So they're going to call out the hitmen to make it about gay marriage and commies. Kinda reminds me of last year's elections. What's it going to take for people to realize that the Bushies' only chance to keep screwing them over is to scare them silly?